New Zealand-born Lucette Aldous trained in Brisbane and Sydney before entering the Royal Ballet School in 1955. In 1957 she began her professional career with Ballet Rambert. Her partnership with Nureyev developed at this time when Nureyev asked her to partner him in his production of Don Quixote for the Australian Ballet, which premiered in Adelaide on 28 March 1970. The role of Kitri particularly suited the vivacious, effervescent and technically accomplished Aldous and in 1973 she repeated her stage success as Kitri and as Nureyev's partner when the Australian Ballet filmed the Nureyev production of Don Quixote. Now retired from full-time work at WAAPA, Aldous continues to live in Perth and to coach, adjudicate and teach. She received the award for services to dance at the 2001 Australian Dance Awards.

Yvette Chauviré was born in Paris 1917. Danced at the Paris Opéra Ballet and became étoile 1941. The greatest French dancer of her time. Combining grace, lyricism and technical mastery she excelled both in Serge Lifar's ballets and in the classical repertory. Repertoire includes: David triomphant, Alexandre le Grand, Istar, Mirages, L'Ecuyère. She danced the classic reportory as a guest artist all over the world. Director of the Paris Opéra Ballet School 1963-1972. Commandeur Légion d'Honneur, 1988.

A pupil of the famous Agrippina Vaganova, she was the uncontested star of the Kirov for more than 30 years alongside her husband Konstantin Sergeyev. Characterised by her brilliant technique and unique temperament, she performed all of the great repertoire roles and also stood out in "Les Flammes de Paris" by Vainonen, and above all in "Laurencia" by Chabukiani. It was in this ballet that she offered an opportunity for the young Nureyev who had recently joined the company, to make his debut in Frondoso in 1958. While at the same time continuing her career, she taught the famous Vaganova method at the Vaganova Institute in the advanced class from 1951 onwards. Subsequently, from 1963 to 1978 she was tutor at the Kirov Theatre. She made appearances in many dance films, including among others "The stars of Soviet dance" USSR, 1953 and in "Sleeping Beauty" in 1964, in which she played the fairy Carabosse alongside Alla Sizova, Yuri Soloviov and Natalia Makarova.

Eva Evdokimova was born in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1948. Her father is Bulgarian and her mother American. She is a US citizen, but she spent most of her childhood and youth in Germany and England. She studied first in Munich and then from 1959 with the Royal Ballet School in London. In 1966 she joined the Royal Danish Ballet. She danced three years in the corps there before joining the Berlin Ballet as a soloist in 1969. After many big successes she was given the title prima ballerina in 1973. She was also a permanent guest artist with the London Festival Ballet. She guest danced all over the world and was a frequent partner of Rudolf Nureyev. She was ballet mistress with the Boston Ballet. She died in New York on April 3rd 2009. Repertoire includes: Giselle, Swan Lake, La Sylphide, The Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, Don Quixote, Le Corsaire, La Bayadere, Firebird, Romeo and Juliet, Les Sylphides, Raymonda, Coppelia, Miss Julie, Etudes, The Conservatory, Napoli, Cinderella, Daphnis and Chloë, La Valse, Symphony in C. Awards: Gold Medal at the Varna International Ballet Competition in 1970.

Margot Fonteyn - 1919-1991 - was born in Reigate, Surrey, England 1919, as Margaret Hookham. Joined Vic-Wells Ballet in 1934. She had quick progress and in 1939 she had already danced Giselle, Odette-Odile and Aurora. She became the world's greatest ballerina and could have retired as such when she was 40. But her meeting with Rudolf Nureyev in 1962 gave the world the magic of their great partnership and her career continued until she was 58.

Carla Fracci was born in Milan in 1936. She studied at the La Scala Ballet School from 1946 with Vera Volkova and others, graduating into the company in 1954. Promoted soloist in 1956 and principal in 1958. At La Scala she created Juliet in Cranko's Romeo and Juliet (1958) and Elvira in Massine's Don Giovanni (1959). She appeared with many companies like London Festival Ballet in 1959 and 1962, Royal Ballet in 1963, Stuttgart Ballet in 1965 and Royal Swedish Ballet in 1969. From 1967 she was principal guest artist of the American Ballet Theatre. She is renowned for her interpretation of the romantic roles. Giselle was her greatest success, she danced it with many great partners like with Rudolf Nureyev, Vladimir Vasiliev, Henning Kronstam, Mikhail Baryshnikov and above all Erik Bruhn. Her unforgettable Giselle with Bruhn was filmed in 1969. Other great roles were Sylphide, Swanilda and Juliet. She was director of ballet in Naples 1990-91 and in Verona 1995-97. She is now director of Balletto dell'Opera di Roma.

She was nominated "Etoile" on stage by Rudolf Nureyev in November 1985 at the same time as Laurent Hilaire, at the end of a performance of Swan Lake (the Bourmeister version). She retired from the Opéra in May 2001 but returns to dance as a "guest". She was also responsible for rehearsals for the revival of La Bayadère (November-December 2001) at the Bastille, and she re-staged the Don Quixote of Nureyev at the Scala of Milan (November 2003).

Sylvie Guillem is Principal Guest Artist with The Royal Ballet, she was born in Paris 1965 and studied at Paris Opéra Ballet School. In 1984 Rudolf Nureyev made her an Étoile with Paris Opéra Ballet. She won the Varna Competition, Carpeaux Prize, Andersen Prize, and has been made a Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres and made Chevalier de Légion d’Honneur by François Mitterrand. Her repertory includes: Grand Pas classique, Other Dances, La Luna, Herman Schmerman, In the middle, Somewhat elevated, Firstext, Steptext, Bolero, The Rite of Spring, Le Martyre de Saint-Sébastien and the leading roles in Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, Giselle, Don Quixote, Romeo and Juliet, Manon, A Month in the Country, La Bayadère, Cinderella and Raymonda.

Renée (called Zizi) Jeanmaire was born in Paris in 1924. She studied at the Paris Opera School from 1933 and entered the company in 1939. Although she had a brilliant classical technique she never fitted the ballerina mould and left POB in 1944. Her style was perfect for the exuberant and glamorous choreography of Roland Petit. She joined his company, Petit's Ballets de Paris, in 1948. She created many roles for Petit, the far most famous was the title role in Carmen (1949). She also created Roxane in his Cyrano de Bergerac (1959). From the 1950's she focused her career on film and cabaret.

Karen Kain was born in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada 1951. She joined National Ballet of Canada 1969 and was promoted to principal 1971. She was also a guest artist with Petit's Ballet de Marseille. Partnered with Frank Augustyn and Rudolf Nureyev. Repertoire includes: Swan Lake, Coppelia, Giselle, Sleeping Beauty. Awards: Soloist silver medal at Moscow International Ballet Competition 1973, and first place with Frank Augustyn in the Pas de Deux category.

Ninel Kurgapkina was born in Leningrad in 1929. Kurgapkina was one of the last pupils of Agrippina Vaganova. She graduated and joined the Kirov Ballet in 1947. Her repertory includes Aurora (Sleeping Beauty), Myrtha (Giselle), Odette-Odile (Swan Lake), Kitri (Don Quixote) and Parasha (Bronze Horseman). She was appointed a Director of the Vaganova School in 1972.

Monique Loudières was born in Choisy le Roi in 1956. She studied at the Paris Opéra Ballet School. Graduated into the Paris Opéra Ballet in 1972. Appointed étoile in 1982. An extremely versatile dancer who danced both the classical and modern reportoire. She officially retired in 1996. Since September 2001 she is the Artistic and Pedagogical Director of the Ecole Supérieure de Danse de Cannes created by Rosella Hightower. Awards: French National Prize for Dance in 1993

Natalia Makarova was born in Leningrad in 1940. She studied at the Kirov Ballet School and joined the Kirov Ballet in 1959. Defected to the West in 1970 and joined the American Ballet Theatre. Guest ballerina throughout the world. Repertoire includes: Giselle, Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, Hamlet, Apollo, Jardin aux Lilas, Dark Elegies, Pillar of Fire, Romeo and Juliet, La Bayadere, Manon, Checkmate, Les Biches.

Rudolf Nureyev nominated her "Etoile" on the set of The Nutcracker Suite in december 1988, a film produced by Nureyev and Colin Nears for French Television, in the studios at Bry-sur-Marne.

Linda Maybarduk was born in New York City and raised in Orlando, Florida. Educated at the National Ballet School in Toronto, she was a first soloist with the company. When Nureyev became associated with the National Ballet of Canada, they danced together and grew to be close friends. Nureyev stayed with Maybarduk whenever he was in Toronto, her sons were as close as nephews, and her daughter was his godchild. Linda Maybarduk is now retired from dance and lives in Toronto with her husband and children. She is the author of the book "The Dancer who flew, a memoir of Rudolf Nureyev".

Olga Moiseyeva was born in Leningrad in 1928. She graduated from the Vaganova School (class of Agrippina Vaganova) in 1948. She was well suited for the grand heroic classical roles. She created Mekhmene Banu in The Legend of Love (Grigorovich), Getrude in Hamlet (K. Sergeyev) and Bianca in Othello (Chabukiani). Other important roles include Zarema in The Fountain of Bakhchisarai (Zakharov), title role in Laurencia (Chabukiani), Aegina in Spartacus (Jakobson), Siumbike in Shurale (Jakobson), Nikiya in La Bayadère, title role in Giselle, Kitri in Don Quixote and Odette-Odile in Swan Lake.

Alla Osipenko was born in Leningrad in 1932. She studied for Agrippina Vaganova in Leningrad. She graduated in 1950 and was immediately accepted at the Kirov Ballet as a soloist. She was Nureyev's partner, until he defected, and then also Barishnikov's. She began teaching at the Vaganova School in 1966. Repertoire includes: Stone Flower, Coast of Love, Anthony and Cleopatra, Choreographic Miniatures. Awards: The "Anna Pavlova, Academie de la Dance Prize" in Paris. People's Artist of Russia in 1960.

Maria Tallchief was born in Fairfax, Oklahoma, in 1925. She studied in Los Angeles with Ernest Belcher and Bronislava Nijinska, and later at the School of American Ballet in New York. She danced with Serge Denham's Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo from 1942 to 1947. She was married to Balanchine from 1946 to 1951 and became the leading ballerina of the New York City Ballet. A muse of Balanchine, who created over 25 roles for her. She was the first truly virtuosic American ballerina. Firebird was her most important role.

Merle Park was born in Salisbury, Zimbabwe (Rhodesia), in 1937. She joined the Royal Ballet in 1954, became soloist 1958 and principal 1959. She was very musical and had a perfect technique. Created the role of Clara in Nureyev's staging of The Nutcracker for the Royal Ballet. She was also successful in Sleeping Beauty, Giselle and La Fille Mal Gardee, La Bayadère, Manon and Mayerling.

Elisabeth Platel was recruited by the Paris Opera Ballet in 1976. She was promoted to First Artist in 1979 and named Principal on December 23rd 1981, after dancing her first “Giselle”.

Noëlla Pontois was born in Vendôme, France, in 1943. She entered the Paris Opéra Ballet School in 1953 and joined the POB in 1961. She was promoted to principal in 1966 and to étoile in 1968. She is remembered for her lightness, exceptional balance, romantic grace and delicate style. Was a frequent partner of Rudolf Nureyev. Retired from the POB in 1983. She excelled in the 19th-century classical repertoire but also created roles in among others Petit's Adage et variations 1965, Extase 1968 and Mouvances 1976, Descombey's Jazz Suite 1966 and Zyklus 1966, Flindt's Jeux 1973, Alonso's Pas de quatre 1973, Robbins' Scherzo fantastique 1974. Awards: Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur, 1984

Patricia Ruanne was born in Leeds, England, in 1945. She studied at the Royal Ballet School and entered the Royal Ballet in 1962. She was appointed principal in 1969. Much of her work was with the touring company. In 1973 she joined London Festival Ballet, where she could dance classic roles, such as Aurora in Nureyev's Sleeping Beauty. She created many leading roles, in including Hynd's The Sanguine Fan (1976). She became ballet mistress of London Festival Ballet (1983-85) and then at the Paris Opera (1986-96). After some freelance work she was appointed acting director at La Scala (1999-2000).

Lynn Seymour was born in Canada in 1939. She studied in Vancouver and then at Sadler's Wells School (in class with Antoinette Sibley and Marcia Haydée!). Joined Covent Garden Opera Ballet in 1956, then the Touring Royal Ballet in 1957 and a year later the Royal Ballet as a soloist. Promoted to principal in 1959. A dancer with lyrical technique and intense dramatic power. She worked closely with MacMillan and created a wide range of roles with him including Girl in Invitation (1960), the Fiancée in Baiser de la fée (1960), Juliet in Romeo and Juliet (1965), Anna Andersen in the one-act version of Anastasia (1967) and later the Grand Duches Anastasi in the three-act version (1971), and Mary Vetsera in Mayerling (1978). She also danced the classic roles, including Odette-Odile, Giselle and Aurora. With Ashton she created the Young girl in Two Pigeons (1961) and Natalia Petrovna in A Month in the Country (1976). From 1966 to 1969 she was prima ballerina at Berlin Opera Ballet under MacMillan's direction. She returned to the Royal Ballet in 1971 as principal guest ballerina (until 1978).

Ghislaine Thesmar was born in 1943 in Beijing (China). She studied at the Paris Conservatoire. She danced with Ballet du Marquis de Cuevas (1961), Lacotte's company Ballet National des Jeunesses Musicales de France, Ballet Rambert, Petit's company Les Grand Ballets Canadiens, and then as Etoile with the Paris Opera Ballet from 1972 to 1985...